Five Healthy Summer Dental Tips for Families

 

When the weather is warm, it’s time for fun! But while families enjoy outdoor sports, picnics, travel, and more, healthy dental routines can falter, opening the door to cavities and other concerns. Keep your smiles sparkling and strong all summer long with these 5 helpful dental tips for summertime.

Here are five ways kids and adults can take excellent care of their teeth while savoring the summer months.

Maintain Healthy Habits (even on vacation)

With summer's relaxed schedule, it’s easy to forget daily routines, especially when vacationing. Stock up on travel-size oral hygiene staples and even consider keeping some in the car if you’re on the go frequently.

Traveling or sending kiddos off to camp or grandmas house? Set reminders or alarms on watches or phones to help healthy habit stick. Have your child brush twice a day for two minutes each time and floss once daily. Brushing to a favorite song or turning brushing time into a game may help your children stick with this healthy habit. Maintaining this basic routine will help prevent cavities and keep smiles bright. 

Stay Hydrated

Maintaining hydration is essential in the sweltering summer season. Be sure to consume ample water throughout the day.

Why is drinking water and staying hydrated important for your oral and dental health? Water helps flush out food debris and bacteria, which protects against build-up and cavity-causing bacteria. Another benefit of drinking water is that it fights dry mouth and promotes healthy saliva. When the mouth doesn’t produce enough saliva, plaque builds up, causing dry mouth or xerostomia. Staying hydrated by drinking water stimulates saliva production, providing the mouth with the minerals it needs to remain healthy.

Important: Avoid sugary beverages as your primary source of hydration. If you choose Gatorade or another electrolyte-filled drink that also contains sugar, be sure to rinse your mouth with water after drinking to rinse away the sticky sugars from the surface of your teeth.

Tips for staying hydrated: 

  • Consider purchasing a thermos or water bottle to keep with you throughout the day.

  • Monitor your intake and stay accountable with a friend or loved one who is also committed to self-care.

  • Dress up your plain water and stay hydrated with a healthy "mocktail" by adding natural garnishes such as cucumber, lemon, orange or mint.

Rinse After Summer Treats

For many, summertime means enjoying cold beverages and treats like sweet tea, soda, ice cream, snow cones, and popsicles. Unfortunately, these high-sugar treats can seriously harm your teeth.  Sugar feeds bacteria in the mouth, leading to plaque buildup. Rinsing with water can help reduce the amount of bacteria and reduce the risk of tooth decay. 

How to Rinse Effectively: 

  • Take a mouthful of plain water.

  • Swish the water in your mouth for 30 seconds. 

  • Spit out the water and repeat if desired. 

Keep Chlorine Off Teeth

A fun summer pastime is visiting the neighborhood swimming pool. While swimming is great exercise, did you know that the pool could be harmful to your teeth? Depending on your mouth’s sensitivity to chlorine, pools with unregulated pH levels can lead to dental issues such as stains, tooth pain, and enamel erosion. If you are an occasional swimmer, there is no need to worry, but if you visit the pool regularly during the summer months, be sure to wait 30 minutes after swimming and then brush your teeth with a fluoridated toothpaste and use a mouth rinse. 

Maintain (or Schedule) Your Dental Appointment

Summer is the ideal time to schedule your dental appointments (especially for children!) or tackle a treatment plan you’ve been putting on hold. To help accommodate busy work or family schedules, our dental clinic offers early morning appointments on Thursdays. Additionally, our scheduling coordinator is happy to optimize visits for multiple family members to be seen simultaneously, when possible.

If you have a regular dental appointment and exam scheduled for the summer months, be sure to keep your appointment or notify our staff in advance if travel or other commitments interfere. Regular visits to WoodSprings Dentistry allows our dentists to identify potential issues early and keep your teeth in excellent condition. Skipping dental appointments is never recommended. So be sure to keep those appointments or reschedule your dental visit as soon as possible if you need to cancel for any reason.

If you are looking for a dentist in The Woodlands or Spring, TX, who provides comprehensive general and cosmetic dentistry for the entire family, call WoodSprings Dentistry today. Our dentists strive to provide the best in family and cosmetic dentistry for patients in The Woodlands, Spring, TX, and Creekside Park. 

If you are looking for a dentist near you in The Woodlands, Spring, or Creekside Park, take advantage of flexible summer schedules and book an appointment at WoodSprings Dentistry today.

 
Joelle Allen